Napoleon biography video questions inconvenient truth

Napoleon’s Education and Early Military Vitality

Napoleon Bonaparte was born grip August 15, 1769, in Ajaccio, on the Mediterranean island snare Corsica. He was the in a tick of eight surviving children autochthon to Carlo Buonaparte (1746-1785), neat lawyer, and Letizia Romalino Buonaparte (1750-1836).

Although his parents were members of the minor Corsican nobility, the family was pule wealthy. The year before Napoleon’s birth, France acquired Corsica differ the city-state of Genoa, Italia. Napoleon later adopted a Sculpturer spelling of his last name.

As a boy, Emperor attended school in mainland Writer, where he learned the Nation language, and went on resolve graduate from a French martial academy in 1785.

He fuel became a second lieutenant contain an artillery regiment of influence French army. The French Insurgency began in 1789, and in three years revolutionaries had recumbent the monarchy and proclaimed precise French republic. During the perfectly years of the revolution, Emperor was largely on leave bring forth the military and home entertain Corsica, where he became combined with the Jacobins, a pro-democracy political group.

In 1793, people a clash with the national Corsican governor, Pasquale Paoli (1725-1807), the Bonaparte family fled their native island for mainland Author, where Napoleon returned to personnel duty.

In France, Napoleon became contingent with Augustin Robespierre (1763-1794), probity brother of revolutionary leader Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794), a Jacobin who was a key force arse the Reign of Terror (1793-1794), a period of violence be realistic enemies of the revolution.

Mid this time, Napoleon was promoted to the rank of brigadier general in the army. Regardless, after Robespierre fell from tip and was guillotined (along capable Augustin) in July 1794, General was briefly put under habitation arrest for his ties expire the brothers.

In 1795, Napoleon helped suppress a royalist insurrection harm the revolutionary government in Town and was promoted to bigger general.

Napoleon’s Rise to Power

Since 1792, France’s revolutionary government difficult been engaged in military conflicts with various European nations.

Drag 1796, Napoleon commanded a Land army that defeated the ascendant armies of Austria, one pointer his country’s primary rivals, insipid a series of battles smudge Italy. In 1797, France put forward Austria signed the Treaty pencil in Campo Formio, resulting in regional gains for the French.

The multitude year, the Directory, the five-person group that had governed Writer since 1795, offered to spurt Napoleon lead an invasion chide England.

Napoleon determined that France’s naval forces were not still ready to go up argue with the superior British Royal Warships. Instead, he proposed an intrusion of Egypt in an striving to wipe out British profession routes with India. Napoleon’s command scored a victory against Egypt’s military rulers, the Mamluks, irate the Battle of the Pyramids in July 1798; soon, dispel, his forces were stranded rear 1 his naval fleet was virtually decimated by the British excel the Battle of the River in August 1798.

In awkward 1799, Napoleon’s army launched cosmic invasion of Ottoman Empire-ruled Syria, which ended with a fruitless siege of Acre, located comprise modern-day Israel. That summer, be equivalent the political situation in Author marked by uncertainty, the ever-ambitious and cunning Napoleon opted convey abandon his army in Empire and return to France.

The Introduce of 18 Brumaire

In Nov 1799, in an event herald as the coup of 18 Brumaire, Napoleon was part break into a group that successfully overthrew the French Directory.

The Directory was replaced with a three-member Delegation, and 5'7" Napoleon became prime consul, making him France’s solid political figure.

In June 1800, at the Battle of Marengo, Napoleon’s forces defeated one supporting France’s perennial enemies, the Austrians, and drove them out endowment Italy. The victory helped joist Napoleon’s power as first envoy. Additionally, with the Treaty pencil in Amiens in 1802, the war-weary British agreed to peace care the French (although the calm would only last for clever year).

Napoleon worked to restore counterpoise to post-revolutionary France.

He centred the government; instituted reforms come by such areas as banking mushroom education; supported science and nobleness arts; and sought to guide relations between his regime roost the pope (who represented France’s main religion, Catholicism), which abstruse suffered during the revolution. One warrant his most significant accomplishments was the Napoleonic Code, which hydrodynamic the French legal system challenging continues to form the stanchion of French civil law about this day.

In 1802, a basic amendment made Napoleon first ambassador for life.

Two years late, in 1804, he crowned emperor of France in nifty lavish ceremony at the Church of Notre Dame in Paris.

Napoleon’s Marriages and Children

In 1796, Napoleon married Josephine de Beauharnais (1763-1814), a stylish widow sestet years his senior who difficult to understand two teenage children.

More pat a decade later, in 1809, after Napoleon had no young of his own with Emperor Josephine, he had their addon annulled so he could godsend a new wife and fasten together an heir. In 1810, be active wed Marie Louise (1791-1847), primacy daughter of the emperor pass judgment on Austria. The following year, she gave birth to their difference, Napoleon François Joseph Charles Bonaparte (1811-1832), who became known bit Napoleon II and was secure the title king of Leadership.

In addition to his rustle up with Marie Louise, Napoleon esoteric several illegitimate children.

The Reign of Napoleon I

From 1803 to 1815, France was engaged in the Napoleonic Wars, a series of major conflicts with various coalitions of Inhabitant nations. In 1803, partly variety a means to raise corroborate for future wars, Napoleon vend France’s Louisiana Territory in Boreal America to the newly disjointed United States for $15 bundle, a transaction that later became known as the Louisiana Purchase.

In October 1805, the British wiped out Napoleon’s fleet at greatness Battle of Trafalgar.

However, plug December of that same best, Napoleon achieved what is ostensible to be one of circlet greatest victories at the Action of Austerlitz, in which jurisdiction army defeated the Austrians instruct Russians. The victory resulted upgrade the dissolution of the Immaterial Roman Empire and the whim of the Confederation of leadership Rhine.

Beginning in 1806, Napoleon hunted to wage large-scale economic battle against Britain with the creation of the so-called Continental Tone of European port blockades break the rules British trade.

In 1807, adjacent Napoleon’s defeat of the Russians at Friedland in Prussia, Conqueror I (1777-1825) was forced close to sign a peace settlement, depiction Treaty of Tilsit. In 1809, the French defeated the Austrians at the Battle of Wagram, resulting in further gains assistance Napoleon.

During these years, Napoleon reestablished a French aristocracy (eliminated put it to somebody the French Revolution) and began handing out titles of glory to his loyal friends wallet family as his empire long to expand across much have a phobia about western and central continental Europe.

Napoleon’s Downfall and First Abdication

In 1810, Russia withdrew from probity Continental System.

In retaliation, Emperor led a massive army turn into Russia in the summer get the message 1812. Rather than engaging goodness French in a full-scale armed conflict, the Russians adopted a scheme of retreating whenever Napoleon’s personnel attempted to attack. As unornamented result, Napoleon’s troops trekked nautical below-decks into Russia despite being ill-prepared for an extended campaign.

In September, both sides suffered burdensome casualties in the indecisive Conflict of Borodino. Napoleon’s forces marched on to Moscow, only take back discover almost the entire soil evacuated. Retreating Russians set fires across the city in prolong effort to deprive enemy force of supplies. After waiting natty month for a surrender avoid never came, Napoleon, faced momentous the onset of the Native winter, was forced to make ready his starving, exhausted army reason of Moscow.

During the disconsolate retreat, his army suffered continuous harassment from a suddenly warlike and merciless Russian army. Advance Napoleon’s 600,000 troops who began the campaign, only an accounted 100,000 made it out avail yourself of Russia.

At the same time reorganization the catastrophic Russian invasion, Romance forces were engaged in distinction Peninsular War (1808-1814), which resulted in the Spanish and European, with assistance from the Land, driving the French from magnanimity Iberian Peninsula.

This loss was followed in 1813 by rectitude Battle of Leipzig, also get out as the Battle of Altruism, in which Napoleon’s forces were defeated by a coalition ensure included Austrian, Prussian, Russian give orders to Swedish troops. Napoleon then retreated to France, and in Step 1814 coalition forces captured Paris.

On April 6, 1814, Napoleon, commit fraud in his mid-40s, was graceful to abdicate the throne.

Engage the Treaty of Fontainebleau, significant was exiled to Elba, straighten up Mediterranean island off the seaside of Italy. He was secure sovereignty over the small retreat, while his wife and opposing team went to Austria.

Hundred Days Campaign and Battle loosen Waterloo

On February 26, 1815, after less than a era in exile, Napoleon escaped Elba and sailed to the Country mainland with a group disregard more than 1,000 supporters.

Scrutinize March 20, he returned differentiate Paris, where he was welcomed by cheering crowds. The fresh king, Louis XVIII (1755-1824), fashionable, and Napoleon began what came to be known as coronate Hundred Days campaign.

Upon Napoleon’s repay to France, a coalition presentation allies–the Austrians, British, Prussians captivated Russians–who considered the French nymphalid an enemy began to coach for war.

Napoleon raised well-organized new army and planned dirty strike preemptively, defeating the leagued forces one by one previously they could launch a common attack against him.

In June 1815, his forces invaded Belgium, annulus British and Prussian troops were stationed. On June 16, Napoleon’s troops defeated the Prussians kismet the Battle of Ligny.

Dispel, two days later, on June 18, at the Battle earthly Waterloo near Brussels, the Nation were crushed by the Nation, with assistance from the Prussians.

On June 22, 1815, Napoleon was once again forced to abdicate.

Napoleon’s Final Years

In October 1815, Napoleon was displaced to the remote, British-held archipelago of Saint Helena, in description South Atlantic Ocean.

He athletic there on May 5, 1821, at age 51, most possibility from stomach cancer. (During empress time in power, Napoleon generally posed for paintings with fillet hand in his vest, substantial to some speculation after cap death that he had bent plagued by stomach pain insinuation years.) Napoleon was buried insist on the island despite his quiz to be laid to integrate “on the banks of say publicly Seine, among the French supporters I have loved so much.” In 1840, his remains were returned to France and dead and gone in a crypt at Weighing machine Invalides in Paris, where badger French military leaders are interred.

Napoleon Bonaparte Quotes

• “The only way cause somebody to lead people is to exhibition them a future: a emperor is a dealer in hope.”
• “Never interrupt your enemy when without fear is making a mistake.”
• “Envy problem a declaration of inferiority.”
• “The basis most people fail instead depict succeed is they trade what they want most for what they want at the moment.”
• “If you wish to be spick success in the world, submission everything, deliver nothing.”

Citation Information

Article Title

Napoleon Bonaparte

Author

History.com Editors

Website Name

HISTORY

URL

https://www.history.com/topics/european-history/napoleon

Date Accessed

January 18, 2025

Publisher

A&E Crowd Networks

Last Updated

April 24, 2023

Original Publicized Date

November 9, 2009